Haunted Houses and Ghost Tours Worth the Drive from Hilton Head

A field guide to October’s haunted houses, ghost tours and other scares worth the drive

STORY BY MARIE MCCAA

Some haunted attractions are a quick detour after dinner. Others require a full tank of gas, a brave friend in the passenger seat and the uneasy acceptance that whatever scratches the car door on the way home is probably best left unexplained.

When October rolls around, the Lowcountry gets a little darker. Cornfields become corridors, forest trails disappear into blackness, and perfectly normal people suddenly develop a disturbing interest in chasing strangers through the woods. Plenty of scares are within striking distance of Hilton Head, from student-built haunts to sprawling forest trails and candlelit walks through one of America’s most famously haunted cities. Consider this your field guide, starting close to home and working outward. Choose your scare wisely.

The Haunt at HHIHS

70 Wilborn Road, Hilton Head Island

The scare: Student stagecraft gets a sinister makeover. The shortest drive on our list might also be the easiest way to get yourself into trouble. Each year Hilton Head Island High School theater students transform their performing arts space into a maze of shadowy corridors, sinister scenes and strategically placed scares. This is more than a few cobwebs and plastic skeletons. Students put their theatrical skills to work with sets, lighting, sound, music and costumed actors lurking out of sight for just the right moment to make you jump. The result is a homegrown haunt with the feel of a live production and an easy entry point for families and Halloween fans not quite ready to venture deep into the woods.

Experience it: 7-10 p.m. Oct. 25, 27, 28, 29 and 30. Tickets ($10-$30) are available at the door of the HHIHS theater.

The Reaper’s Dungeon

280 Recreation Lane, Walterboro

The scare: A long walk through the woods where you’re definitely not alone. Reaper’s Dungeon understands one of horror’s oldest rules: Sometimes what you can’t see is much scarier than what you can. The attraction builds its scares around a long wooded trail, using isolation and anticipation as much as actors and effects. Live performers lurk along the route, but the trees do plenty of the psychological heavy lifting. You hear movement before you see anything. Something flashes between the trunks. Then you spend the next hundred yards wondering whether the noise behind you is part of the attraction or something you would rather not meet. Recommended for ages 12 and older.

Experience it: 7-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in October. General admission is $8. About 70 miles, or 1 1/2 hours, from Hilton Head. reapersdungeon.com

Alee Shriners Haunted House

100 Eisenberg Drive, Savannah

The scare: Moving floors, monsters and classic haunted-house mayhem. If you like your Halloween scares served with a side of Why is the floor moving?, this Savannah haunt is a strong contender. The trouble starts with a hand-built vortex tunnel designed to scramble your sense of balance before you have even found your footing. Simulated walkways, a suspension bridge and shifting environments make simply getting through the place part of the ordeal. Then come the masked characters, creepy creatures and chainsaw-wielding maniacs. Fake blood, spider webs, severed limbs and themed rooms add to the old-school chaos, while the floors, walls and scenery seem just as interested in messing with you as the actors. Alee describes the attraction as family-friendly, but don’t mistake that for scream-free.

Experience it: 7-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in October. Tickets are $25. About 45 miles, or 1 hour, from Hilton Head. aleeshriners.org

Savannah History & Haunts

17 W. McDonough St., Savannah

The scare: Ghost stories told where they supposedly happened. For Halloween fans who prefer goosebumps to jump scares, Savannah supplies plenty of atmosphere before the storytelling even begins. This 90-minute outdoor walking tour winds through historic squares and cobblestone streets as guides recount ghosts, superstitions, tragedies and some of the city’s darker chapters. There are no elaborate sets or chainsaw-wielding actors here. The scenery is Savannah itself: moss-draped oaks, centuries-old buildings and shadowy squares. It’s a slower, more atmospheric kind of fright, best suited to those who would rather hear a chilling story beneath an old oak than have someone leap out from behind it.

Experience it: Tours are offered year-round with dates and times varying. Reservations are required. Tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for ages 7-12 and free for ages 6 and younger. About 45 miles, or 1 hour, from Hilton Head. savannahhistoryandhaunts.com

Wicked South Haunted Forest

3001 Lawrence Church Road, Pembroke, Georgia

The scare: A lost carnival, dark woods and nowhere comfortable to hide. For anyone who thinks haunted houses have far too many walls, Wicked South takes the terror outside. Its backstory begins with a traveling carnival whose performers set up camp in the woods. Something went wrong, the performers disappeared, and the abandoned camp was swallowed by the forest. According to the legend, when the mist settles between the trees, you can still hear them. That creepy premise unfolds along twisting trails filled with elaborate sets, props and live scares. Limited visibility may be the attraction’s most effective trick: You can’t see far ahead, you don’t know where the trail will lead, and nearly every tree looks capable of hiding something. Visitors should be ready for uneven terrain and whatever October weather decides to add to the production. If you hear carnival music somewhere deep in the woods, don’t say we told you to follow it.

Experience it: Select nights Oct. 3-Nov. 1. Hours vary by date. Timed entry; admission is $15, parking is $2. About 73 miles, or 1 1/2 hours, from Hilton Head. wickedsouthproductions.com

FAQs

What haunted attractions are near Hilton Head Island?
The article features The Haunt at HHIHS on Hilton Head, The Reaper’s Dungeon in Walterboro, Alee Shriners Haunted House and Savannah History & Haunts in Savannah, and Wicked South Haunted Forest in Pembroke, Georgia.

Are there outdoor haunted attractions near Hilton Head?
Yes. The Reaper’s Dungeon centers its scares on a wooded trail, while Wicked South Haunted Forest uses twisting forest trails, sets, props and live scares.

Is there a ghost tour in Savannah included in the guide?
Yes. Savannah History & Haunts is a 90-minute outdoor walking tour through historic squares and cobblestone streets.

Which attraction is on Hilton Head Island?
The Haunt at HHIHS is at Hilton Head Island High School, 70 Wilborn Road.

How far are the featured attractions from Hilton Head?
The article places the Savannah attractions about 45 miles away, The Reaper’s Dungeon about 70 miles away and Wicked South Haunted Forest about 73 miles away.